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The Air Raid Book Club
The Air Raid Book Club: A Novel | Annie Lyons
12 posts | 9 read | 15 to read
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett comes a heartwarming story of found family, love, and making connections through books set against the bombing of London during WWII. London, 1938: The bookstore just doesnt feel the same to Gertie Bingham ever since the death of her beloved husband Harry. Bingham Books was a dream they shared together, and without Harry, Gertie wonders if its time to take her faithful old lab, Hemingway, and retire to the seaside. But fate has other plans for Gertie. In Germany, Hitler is on the rise, and Jewish families are making the heart-wrenching decision to send their children away from the growing turmoil. After a nudge from her dear friend Charles, Gertie decides to take in one of these refugees, a headstrong teenage girl named Hedy. Willful and fearless, Hedy reminds Gertie of herself at the same age, and shows her that she cant give up just yet. With the terrible threat of war on the horizon, the world needs people like Gertie Bingham and her bookshop. When the Blitz begins and bombs whistle overhead, Gertie and Hedy come up with the idea to start an air raid book club. Together with neighbors and bookstore customers, they hold lively discussions of everything from Winnie the Pooh to Wuthering Heights. After all, a good book can do wonders to bolster peoples spirits, even in the most trying times. But even the best book can only provide a temporary escape, and as the tragic reality of the war hits home, the book club faces unimaginable losses. They will need all the strength of their stories and the bonds theyve formed to see them through to brighter days.
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kspenmoll
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Read4life Some really good books you‘ve got there!! 5mo
39 likes1 comment
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kspenmoll
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Pickpick

Historical fiction set during World War II.Gertie,a London bookstore owner,still deeply mourning the death of her husband 2 years earlier,agrees reluctantly to take in Hedy,a teenage Jewish refugee.This decision totally transform her life. When the Blitz occurs,Gertie,Hedy, neighbors, & friends extend their Bookclub & discussions underground while sitting out air raids.Books as a unifying force that crosses all barriers is a major theme, as well🔽

kspenmoll 🔼as found family,sacrifice, love, & loss. This is a book about the importance of community, connection,inclusion, & unity. This book has stayed with me since yesterday. It came highly recommended by my ex-student & friend. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5mo
kspenmoll I still have not conquered the art of short book reviews- seems i always need to extend with comments.😉 5mo
Suet624 I love your reviews. Don‘t make them shorter. 5mo
kspenmoll @Suet624 Thanks Sue! 5mo
54 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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kspenmoll
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Starting this library book this afternoon,with some ice coffee & a granola bar.

42 likes1 stack add
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Kshakal
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Pickpick

I absolutely fell in love with this book… a beautiful historical fiction novel set in London during WW2… amazing characters and a plot that I didn‘t want to end!

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TheHeartlandBookFairy
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Pickpick

Beautiful historical fiction! A London bookshop owner, recently widowed, is asked to take on a Jewish refuge child. Gertie reluctantly agrees, and 15 year old Hedy arrives. Through teenage angst, language barriers, and air raids, a bond forms between Gertie and Hedy, but what happened to Hedy's parents and brother? A story of sacrifice, love, loss, how books can save lives, more love, and... Loved it!

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SW-T
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Pickpick

Gertie and Hedy were enjoyable characters and Bingham Books made a great setting. Hemingway the dog was a bonus. Wonderful to see people pull together and lend a helping hand when it‘s needed most and to watch them develop their own found family.

#fiction #WWIIFiction

MonicaLoves2Read Wasn't this a good book 11mo
SW-T @Monica5 Yes. ☺️ 9mo
30 likes2 comments
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MonicaLoves2Read
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'The Air Raid Book Club' is set in London during WWII starting in the year 1938. Gertie is the owner of a bookstore and is thinking of retiring. Her friend Charles asks her to home a Jewish German child. She decides she will and Heddy enters her life.

It started off slow but picked up about page 100. This is the first book I have read by Lyons. She wrote in such a way that I felt like I was part of the story. There was excellent ⬇️

MonicaLoves2Read ' character development. She grew these characters so much in the 8 years that this book spans. It was a good book because I became invested in these characters and cared about what happened to them. #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks #20in4 Readathon @Andrew65 #Rushathon 1y
Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏 1y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
18 likes3 comments
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MonicaLoves2Read
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Gertie Bingham was standing in the queue at Piddock the Butcher's contemplating offal when she experienced a thrill of longing a little like falling in love.

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

14 likes2 comments
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Sharpeipup
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Found a remote spot to hopefully read in peace.

31 likes2 stack adds
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SassyBookworm
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Loved this beautiful book. The main point I loved was the sense of community. How no matter where you come from or what you do we can always find a connection through kindness (and books!) to help one another! The characters we so lovable and I definitely want to be Gertie when I‘m up in my sixties! It‘s for sure a book I will be thinking about for a while. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#SassyBookworm😏 #HistoricalFiction #WWII

69 likes3 stack adds
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SassyBookworm
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Nothing better than a book lounging in the pool at the water park!! This is my absolute favorite thing to do in the summer! Hoping to finish this one up today!

Where is your favorite reading spot in the summer?

#SassyBookworm😏 #SummerFun

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SassyBookworm
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I‘m half way through and absolutely love this book! Gertie is a bookshop owner and I have fallen in love with her! I want to be her when I grow old 🩵

#FirstLineFridays #SassyBookworm 😏

ShyBookOwl 📚💜 1y
53 likes3 stack adds1 comment